Changing Clothes

Once they were inside the room, Matron Ruan took the bundle, opened it, and said to Xu Xi, "These are clothes and jewelry Her Ladyship specially prepared for you, young lady. Please change into them, and this old servant will do your hair."

Xu Xi looked inside and saw a silk outfit. The jacket was pink, paired with a purplish-red skirt. The jacket's collar and cuffs were edged in purplish red and embroidered with cloud patterns in pink thread. A band of pink fabric ran around the skirt's hem, with cloud patterns embroidered in purplish-red thread to match. The colors of the whole outfit went beautifully together, and it had a thoroughly girlish style. As for exactly what kind of silk it was, sorry, but she came from modern times and didn't know.

Besides that, the bundle held a coral-red bodice embroidered with lotus leaves, a set of white underclothes, a pair of embroidered shoes, and a pair of socks. There was also a dressing case.

"Her Ladyship had the residence's embroiderers hurry to make this especially for you," Matron Ruan said. "Time was short, so they have only managed to finish this one outfit. It's a little plain, but please wear it for now, young lady. The embroiderers are still hard at work making more for you."

In fact, when Matron Ruan had come to fetch Xu Xi two days earlier, the marquis's residence had prepared two outfits for her to bring along. But they had not thought much of Xu Xi at the time, so both outfits had been made without much care, and their fabric and workmanship had been quite ordinary.

Now, after all the commotion Xu Xi had caused, the old marchioness and the marchioness, Lady Zhu, had come to see her in a new light. When they also learned that she had been admitted to the Women's Academy, they had the embroiderers make another outfit from better fabric. There had not been enough time, so the embroiderers had only added two simple patterns at the collar and cuffs for her to wear in the meantime.

Other outfits with exquisite embroidery were also being made at a furious pace. At the very least, when she entered the Women's Academy, her clothes and appearance would not tarnish the marquis's residence's reputation.

"It's beautiful. I like it very much," Xu Xi said with a smile.

She liked clothes that were simple and elegant. Although she preferred cooler colors to pink or purplish red, she had finally returned to the age of thirteen or fourteen, so wearing girlish pink once in a while was no problem.

Seeing that Xu Xi appreciated Lady Zhu's thoughtfulness and was so straightforward and gracious about it, Matron Ruan grew even fonder of her character.

"I'm glad you like it, young lady," she said with a smile. "Please take off your clothes, and this old servant will help you change."

"There's no need. I can do it myself." Xu Xi was not used to having someone watch her change.

"Please sit here for a moment." She took out the dressing case, picked up the bundle, and went next door to Xu Xue's room, where she closed the door and changed.

The outfit had indeed been made specially for her, and it fit perfectly. When Xu Xi returned to her room, Matron Ruan and the little maid could not help showing a flash of amazement in their eyes.

Xu Xi was tall, with a slender waist and delicate, striking features. The outfit looked truly beautiful on her, countless times better than the drab clothes she had worn earlier.

Matron Ruan could not help praising her. "You're so beautiful, young lady."

"Thank you for the compliment, Matron." Xu Xi thanked her graciously and sat down on a stool. "There's no need to redo my hair. You only need to put the jewelry on me."

She had the original owner's memories, so styling this kind of ancient hairdo was no trouble for her. Xu Xi, who came from modern times, liked simple, elegant hairstyles. At present, she had only tied her hair in a bun and secured it with a wooden hairpin, leaving the long hair at the back to fall naturally down her back.

This body had a head of glossy black, silky hair, and the hairstyle suited her very well.

Matron Ruan knew that Lady Zhu had no patience for entertaining Xu Chengguan, the Xu Family's clan head, and that she could not linger here too long. So she did not object. She simply removed the wooden hairpin and slid a lavender jade hairpin from the jewelry box into Xu Xi's hair, then put two beaded flowers and a pair of pearl earrings on her. Finally, she took out a pair of jade bangles and put them on Xu Xi.

Over the years, the marquis's residence had steadily gone downhill, with more money going out than coming in. Yet the old marchioness wanted to maintain the residence's standing and would not let Lady Zhu cut back too much on servants, leaving the household even harder pressed to make ends meet. For this trip to fetch Xu Xi, Lady Zhu had searched the storeroom for a long time without finding any suitable jewelry. In the end, she had pawned some things and bought a few new pieces.

The pieces Xu Xi was wearing were the ones newly bought. To Madam Xie and the others, they might have cost an astronomical sum, but in aristocratic circles they were merely ordinary. They could not be called fine, though they were not too beneath their station either.

It was also because Lady Zhu valued Xu Xi; otherwise, she really would not have gone to the trouble.

Matron Ruan took out brand-new rouge and face powder from the dressing case, intending to apply makeup to Xu Xi, but Xu Xi hurriedly stopped her. "Matron, there's no need."

Ancient cosmetics contained quite a bit of lead, and Xu Xi had no desire to use them.

Matron Ruan studied Xu Xi for a moment. Her skin was snow-white and delicate, seemingly so tender that a touch could break it, and so fair and clear that it was utterly flawless. Her features were striking, her lips red and her teeth white. Rouge and powder would only be superfluous.

So she merely tidied Xu Xi's eyebrows and stopped, praising her again. "You're a natural beauty, young lady."

Xu Xi smiled and said nothing.

After transmigrating to ancient times, she was quite satisfied with this body. Beauty came in many forms, and to her modern eyes, this face truly belonged to a great beauty, with a very grand kind of beauty at that. Given her personality, she couldn't pull off a sweet style or a foxy temptress style. These bright, open features were her favorite.